Job — Chapter 40
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1And the LORD said to Job:
2“Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who argues with God give an answer.”
3Then Job answered the LORD:
4“Behold, I am insignificant. How can I reply to You? I place my hand over my mouth.
5I have spoken once, but I have no answer—twice, but I have nothing to add.”
6Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
7“Now brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall inform Me.
8Would you really annul My justice? Would you condemn Me to justify yourself?
9Do you have an arm like God’s? Can you thunder with a voice like His?
10Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor, and clothe yourself with honor and glory.
11Unleash the fury of your wrath; look on every proud man and bring him low.
12Look on every proud man and humble him; trample the wicked where they stand.
13Bury them together in the dust; imprison them in the grave.
14Then I will confess to you that your own right hand can save you.
15Look at Behemoth, which I made along with you. He feeds on grass like an ox.
16See the strength of his loins and the power in the muscles of his belly.
17His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.
18His bones are tubes of bronze; his limbs are rods of iron.
19He is the foremost of God’s works; only his Maker can draw the sword against him.
20The hills yield him their produce, while all the beasts of the field play nearby.
21He lies under the lotus plants, hidden among the reeds of the marsh.
22The lotus plants conceal him in their shade; the willows of the brook surround him.
23Though the river rages, Behemoth is unafraid; he remains secure, though the Jordan surges to his mouth.
24Can anyone capture him as he looks on, or pierce his nose with a snare?
1Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said,
2Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.
3Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
4Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.
5Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.
6Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
7Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
8Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?
9Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?
10Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty.
11Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him.
12Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place.
13Hide them in the dust together; and bind their faces in secret.
14Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee.
15Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox.
16Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly.
17He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together.
18His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron.
19He is the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him.
20Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play.
21He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens.
22The shady trees cover him with their shadow; the willows of the brook compass him about.
23Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth.
24He taketh it with his eyes: his nose pierceth through snares.
1Moreover Jehovah answered Job, and said,
2Shall he that cavilleth contend with the Almighty? He that argueth with God, let him answer it.
3Then Job answered Jehovah, and said,
4Behold, I am of small account; What shall I answer thee? I lay my hand upon my mouth.
5Once have I spoken, and I will not answer; Yea, twice, but I will proceed no further.
6Then Jehovah answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
7Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
8Wilt thou even annul my judgment? Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be justified?
9Or hast thou an arm like God? And canst thou thunder with a voice like him?
10Deck thyself now with excellency and dignity; And array thyself with honor and majesty.
11Pour forth the overflowings of thine anger; And look upon every one that is proud, and abase him.
12Look on every one that is proud, [and] bring him low; And tread down the wicked where they stand.
13Hide them in the dust together; Bind their faces in the hidden [place].
14Then will I also confess of thee That thine own right hand can save thee.
15Behold now, behemoth, which I made as well as thee; He eateth grass as an ox.
16Lo now, his strength is in his loins, And his force is in the muscles of his belly.
17He moveth his tail like a cedar: The sinews of his thighs are knit together.
18His bones are [as] tubes of brass; His limbs are like bars of iron.
19He is the chief of the ways of God: He [only] that made him giveth him his sword.
20Surely the mountains bring him forth food, Where all the beasts of the field do play.
21He lieth under the lotus-trees, In the covert of the reed, and the fen.
22The lotus-trees cover him with their shade; The willows of the brook compass him about.
23Behold, if a river overflow, he trembleth not; He is confident, though a Jordan swell even to his mouth.
24Shall any take him when he is on the watch, Or pierce through his nose with a snare?
1Then the Lord answered Job:
2“Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let the person who accuses God give him an answer!”
3Then Job answered the Lord:
4“Indeed, I am completely unworthy—how could I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth to silence myself.
5I have spoken once, but I cannot answer; twice, but I will say no more.”
6Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind:
7“Get ready for a difficult task like a man. I will question you, and you will inform me.
8Would you indeed annul my justice? Would you declare me guilty so that you might be right?
9Do you have an arm as powerful as God’s, and can you thunder with a voice like his?
10Adorn yourself, then, with majesty and excellency, and clothe yourself with glory and honor.
11Scatter abroad the abundance of your anger. Look at every proud man and bring him low.
12Look at every proud man and abase him; crush the wicked on the spot.
13Hide them in the dust together; imprison them in the grave.
14Then I myself will acknowledge to you that your own right hand can save you.
15“Look now at Behemoth, which I made as I made you; it eats grass like the ox.
16Look at its strength in its loins and its power in the muscles of its belly.
17It makes its tail stiff like a cedar; the sinews of its thighs are tightly wound.
18Its bones are tubes of bronze, its limbs like bars of iron.
19It ranks first among the works of God; the One who made it has furnished it with a sword.
20For the hills bring it food, where all the wild animals play.
21Under the lotus trees it lies, in the secrecy of the reeds and the marsh.
22The lotus trees conceal it in their shadow; the poplars by the stream conceal it.
23If the river rages, it is not disturbed; it is secure, though the Jordan should surge up to its mouth.
24Can anyone catch it by its eyes or pierce its nose with a snare?
1Moreover Yahweh answered Job,
2“Shall he who argues contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it.”
3Then Job answered Yahweh,
4“Behold, I am of small account. What shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth.
5I have spoken once, and I will not answer; Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.”
6Then Yahweh answered Job out of the whirlwind,
7“Now brace yourself like a man. I will question you, and you will answer me.
8Will you even annul my judgment? Will you condemn me, that you may be justified?
9Or do you have an arm like God? Can you thunder with a voice like him?
10“Now deck yourself with excellency and dignity. Array yourself with honor and majesty.
11Pour out the fury of your anger. Look at everyone who is proud, and bring him low.
12Look at everyone who is proud, and humble him. Crush the wicked in their place.
13Hide them in the dust together. Bind their faces in the hidden place.
14Then I will also admit to you that your own right hand can save you.
15“See now, behemoth, which I made as well as you. He eats grass as an ox.
16Look now, his strength is in his thighs. His force is in the muscles of his belly.
17He moves his tail like a cedar. The sinews of his thighs are knit together.
18His bones are like tubes of brass. His limbs are like bars of iron.
19He is the chief of the ways of God. He who made him gives him his sword.
20Surely the mountains produce food for him, where all the animals of the field play.
21He lies under the lotus trees, in the covert of the reed, and the marsh.
22The lotuses cover him with their shade. The willows of the brook surround him.
23Behold, if a river overflows, he doesn’t tremble. He is confident, though the Jordan swells even to his mouth.
24Shall any take him when he is on the watch, or pierce through his nose with a snare?
Summary
God concludes His first speech by demanding a response: shall the one who argues with the Almighty now answer him? (vv. 1-2). Job, humbled, admits he is of small account and has nothing to say, covering his mouth and refusing to speak further — real submission, though not yet the fuller repentance still to come (vv. 3-5). God speaks again from the whirlwind with a sharper, moral challenge: has Job discredited God's justice by insisting on his own righteousness? (vv. 6-8). If Job can bring down the proud and hide the wicked in the dust as God does, then God will admit Job can save himself by his own strength (vv. 9-14). God then describes Behemoth, a creature of immense power — muscular loins, a tail like a cedar, bones like bronze, lying secure among the lotus trees and drinking in whole rivers without alarm — a beast only its Maker can approach, proving that if Job cannot master Behemoth, he has no standing to challenge Behemoth's Creator (vv. 15-24).
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
- Jordan (v.23): River flowing from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea; Israel's boundary.
Places on this map
- Jordan RiverIsrael / Jordan borderRuns about 65 miles as the crow flies from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea, dropping from 700 to 1,400 feet below sea level. Narrow enough to wade at most fords, it was still the boundary that divided wilderness from inheritance. Wikipedia
- Sea of GalileeLake Kinneret, IsraelA freshwater lake 13 miles by 8, sunk 700 feet below sea level in a bowl of hills. Cold air spilling over the rim onto warm water is what produces the sudden violent squalls the Gospels keep describing. Wikipedia
- Dead SeaIsrael / JordanThe lowest exposed ground on earth, about 1,400 feet below sea level, and roughly ten times saltier than the ocean because water leaves only by evaporation. Nothing lives in it, which is the image Ezekiel 47 overturns when he has it filled with fish. Wikipedia
Towns sit on their excavated or traditional site. Regions, rivers and seas are ringed rather than dotted, because for those a single point is only an anchor. Coastlines from Natural Earth.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik notes the crucial distinction between God's two speeches: the first (38-39) demonstrates God's wisdom in creation; the second (40-41) demonstrates God's justice in governance. The challenge in v.8 is the theological center: Job's self-justification had become God-condemnation. You cannot declare yourself righteous and God unjust simultaneously without claiming to be greater than God. Guzik sees Behemoth as either a hippopotamus (with poetic embellishment) or a supernatural chaos creature — either way, the point is Job's powerlessness.
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
- Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.
Videos
Articles
- BibleProject: bibleproject.com On the whole book: the speech from the whirlwind, and why it answers Job the way it does.
- GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of Job -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.
Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.
Reflection
- Silence Can Be the Right Response to God (v.4) — After chapters of demanding answers, Job simply says he has nothing more to say and puts his hand over his mouth. Is there a place in your own life right now where the most spiritually mature response would be silence rather than another argument?
- Defending Yourself Can Mean Accusing God (v.8) — God asks Job directly whether he would discredit God's justice just to be proven right himself. Have you ever pushed so hard to prove your own innocence or rightness that you implicitly made God the one at fault?
- You Cannot Save Yourself (v.14) — God tells Job that if he could humble the proud and govern the wicked himself, then his own strength could save him — but he can't. Where in your life are you still quietly relying on your own strength to fix what only God can actually save?
- A Creature Beyond Your Control (v.15) — God points to Behemoth, a creature of immense power that Job cannot tame or capture. If a creature God made is already beyond your mastery, what does that say about your ability to fully master or explain God Himself?
- Some Things Simply Cannot Be Caught (v.24) — No one can catch Behemoth off guard or pierce its nose with a snare. What are you still trying to control in your life that you need to finally release into God's hands instead?